September 23, 2010

India has done it again. No longer cryptic but out in the open the shameful ineptitude of the Government. You see, the common wealth garnered by the ministers who pass the tenders allocating responsibility to private companies has led to the debacle of the Commonwealth arrangements.

Palaver will follow now to appease the less cynical amongst us. Not only is there complete and stubborn silence explaining to the Indian just why one catastrophe follows another in the arrangements of the CW, but Sheila Dixit the oft elected CM of Delhi was heard on National Television saying things to the effect ‘ Things happen but yeh aapka desh hai.. aap kyun burra bhala bol rahe hain;!! (more…)

August 12, 2010

Inexorable mission..accomplished. Bravo! It is one thing to complain endlessly over telephone conversations, fiercely fight, fume with insolent auto/cab drivers only to forget all half an hour later after reaching ones destination, but quite another to deal effectively with a pestiferous, pernicious state of affairs, promising to be an endless, ongoing condition. For this a hearty back slap to the threesome of Meter Jam for this wholesome action.

This as if whets ones appetite for more. Dil chahe More.. more of these initiatives!! This is the first step in the right direction, the road to civic reforms in India long overdue and extremely bothersome. (more…)

In response to fellow villagers chastising him over his suicide attempt ‘What do you know of my problems’? said Mallikarjuna, a farmer and breathed his last, having consumed a lethal dose of insecticide.

It is true.. what do we know of their woes.

A suicide is reportedly happening every eight hours in the cotton belt of Vidarbha. As if this is not alarming enough, let me point out the above incident however, occurred in Karnataka this time, due to the falling prices of onions..a depressing agrarian scenario, that mirrors a corrupt and decadent administration, indifferent to the crisis.

‘Falling prices’? When? Where? You might ask. Valid question. Debt repressed farmers are coerced into selling their produce at the rate of Rs.200 a quintal, or Rs. 2 a kilo which escalates to Rs 14 or thereabouts by the time it reaches consumers.So both farmers and consumers are as if putty in the hands of the system.

Middlemen are ruling the roost pocketing the major chunk, while farmers are paid a pittance. Weighed down with the enormity of debts to begin with, low returns multiply their woes on one hand and compound interest on the other. Frustration, hopelessness, despair leads them to the path of ruination. Suicide, an option embraced by their fellow villagers, as if endemic, then seems a panacea to their ills .

As if struck by a three pronged attack of a callous government, economic breakdown, sharks as money lenders, the sons of the earth are falling like nine pins to the machinations of the greedy.

Details of suicides vary but the underlying cause remains constant. A flawed agrarian policy, symptomatic of deep rural distress. What is to be considered is not just the statistics of suicides rising like mercury in the barometer of Indians shame, but also how this may result in moral despair for those yet braving the storm.

Hunger may lead to death, if not suicide. Which of the two is more alarmingly poignant? Can we expect honest statistics of hunger deaths?

Browbeaten by drought and natural calamities was a reality farmers had to contend with . But falling prey to predators, strengthened and supported by devious governmental policies reflects just how poorly developed we are as a nation. India Posited? Oh really! Picture that while counting the dead bodies of impoverished farmers.

Undoubtedly the complexity of the situation, its layered beaten inundations over the decades into the fabric of agrarian life defy easy solutions. However that ought not deter seeking immediate redressal for avoidance/stunting of this crisis.

This is my fifth year into blogging. Life as a blogger has been rewarding both spiritually and emotionally. Spiritually because it re inforced my belief in the link /cord we all seem bound with, epitomised by the fact that those I have never met appear to be closely connected via a few taps on my keyboard expressing my thoughts which resonate with a few from all corners of our world on Planet Earth.

Emotionally rewarding..very much so. Take this instance. On my fathers death anniversary since tears wouldnt flow, anguish took the form of a post which depicted the most enchanting and sublime Love story I had personally experienced and witnessed. The love story shared by my parents Dr. Chandar Oberoi and Promilla Oberoi.

Some time back the editor of the Chicken Soup series Raksha Bharadia mailed me her reactions to the story which she read on her own and requested for it to be published in the book.

On February 14th Valentine day the book ‘ Chicken Soup For the Indian Romantic soul’ was released with my story among the others which make it an unforgettable, heart wrenching read. I am humbled that the story of my parents love has thus been engraved for posterity in the minds of all who read that book. It gives me immense peace coupled with a heartfelt gratefulness to the workings of the Divine spirit.

February 5, 2010

Today is the birth anniversary of my father-in-law late Shri Surendra Nath Kaul. Many know him as the writer of ‘Namak Halal’, few others recognise him as the first cousin of the late Raaj Kumar. To my husband and me he was just ‘Dad’..our hero.

I miss him dearly. A friend who over endless cups of tea gave me the most enchanting, delightful. enlightening stories that enriched my life and made me look up to him with awe and wonder. A huge personality who lived life on his own terms, looking it squarely in the face and facing it all on the chin.May his soul rest in everlasting peace.